Heartfelt
by proud-to-be-hooked
Summary: After that kiss outside of Granny's, Killian's feeling hopeful but Emma doesn't seem to be quite ready yet. Specially after a new arrival in Storybrooke who provides just what Emma was looking for: a distraction. Post 3x22.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! It's been such a long time... I was at a complete lost for inspiration. Then Captain Swan happened and I'm just GAAAAAHHH XD. This story has already been submitted to my blog on Tumblr under this same name (proud-to-be-hooked). **

**First, some explaining (SPOILERS AHEAD): Emma and Killian still share that kiss (kisses) outside of Granny's but they're not together. The reason as to why is answered here. Please be patient: the cs goodness will happen later on. **

**Note: My version of Elsa differs from both the original and Disney versions. You can call it a mix of the two.**

** Thank you!**

**_Summary:_** A weird kind of snow has started falling over Storybrooke and the new kid in town might just be the cause of it.

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"Son of a bitch."

If getting out of work late at night, when said night was as freaking freezing your metaphorical balls off as this night was, being buried to the knees in snow after so much as taking a step out of the station and have chosen to wear a dress that day so that her legs were immediately drenched through her stockings wasn't enough to get her in a sour mood, then the fact that her car, it's heating system her sole comfort on a night like this, was stuck. A loud honk sounded when she punched the wheel in frustration.

"Where the hell is all this snow coming from?". Turning off the engine and stepping out of the bug, Emma slammed the door loudly behind her and hugged herself, slapping herself mentally for her very springy choice of clothing that morning. She briefly considered how the hell did it turn from a sunny, dry morning into a chilling, windy, snowy night.

Giving a shrug (which quickly turned into a shiver), she started walking, with difficulty, towards her parent's loft.

After 2 minutes she was frozen to the core from both her soaking legs and feet and the snow that wouldn't just stop falling. Despite the late hour, she seriously started considering calling David to pick her up when she heard a crunch of snow behind her. She didn't turn around or stopped walking; her years as a bail bond person taught her that in a situation like this, when she was the one being followed, the best course of action would be gaining the upper hand with the element of surprise. Quickly looking around she noticed the alleyway besides Golds shop. Plan quickly forming in her mind, Emma continued her unhurried walk, diverting her path to the left. Reaching the end of the building, she quickly darted into the alley, hiding herself from view. Figuring she had only a few seconds before her follower reached the alley, she grabbed her gun from her holster, glued herself to the wall and waited. The footsteps were light and slow, but definitely coming her way. Taking a long breath to steady her, Emma counted to 5 and, gun ready, stepped into their path.

"Hands up, now!".

The first thing she noticed, as her follower stopped in front of her, was that they were smaller than her. Probably even teenage size. They were wearing a long grey cloak that covered them from head to toe. The second thing, and probably the most weird (if she even considered anything weird these days) was that they didn't react to a gun being pointed at their face. Okay, either this kid was blind (not probable, as they seemed to be able to stalk her just fine) or they didn't know what a gun was.

Not taking any chance, Emma didn't lower her weapon.

"I said, hands up!".

Slowly they raised their hands and, as their cloak opened, she could see they were wearing a dress.

"Okay, good. Listen kid, I'm gonna ask you to lower your hood and show me your face."

The girl quickly started reaching for her hood.

Emma stepped forward suddenly. "Careful!"

Flinching, she slowly grabbed the top of her hood and brought it down around her shoulders.

Emma's hold on her weapon sagged and she rolled her eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The girl looked at her feet and brought her cloak tightly around her.

Emma knew that look all too well; this kid was lost. Either literally or figuratively was to be determined.

Sighing, she trusted her instincts that this kid wasn't gonna stab her or something, and holstered her gun.

"Hey." - she said stepping up to the girl, who gasped and stepped back. Emma put her hands in front of her as a sign of peace. "It's okay kid, I'm not gonna hurt you."

The girl looked up from the snow covered ground, to Emma's hands and to her face. Emma gave her a tentative smile which the girl returned carefully.

_Alright, not too shabby._ She secretly congratulated herself; dealing with kids was not her forte. (Except Henry of course, but that kid was an angel compared to some she had encountered during her pre-Storybrooke years).

Slowly lowering her hands, Emma dimmed it wise to ask the question she already knew the answer to but still hoped she was imagining it.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and asked, fingers crossed.

"Are you, by any means, Queen Elsa?"

For one split second she almost sighed in relief; thank god, one person that walked into this god forsaken town that didn't jump from a fairytale.

"Y-You know who I am?" - the girl asked timidly, blue eyes growing as strands of silver-blonde hair that had fallen from her classic up do billowed in the harsh wind.

_Well, so much for that._

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_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Chapter 2 is here. Feedback is much appreciated. Thank you**

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Quietly opening the door, Emma tip-toed her way into her parent's loft. After checking that every light was out and that the drapes giving her parent's bedroom privacy (at least as much privacy as you can get from white, almost see-through drapes. Seriously, what's wrong with doors?) were closed, she took of her soaking wet red leather coat and hanged it by the door before taking off her ankle boots. Signaling her guest that she was meant to follow her, she silently guided the timid girl up the stairs and into the bedroom she was occupying.

"Okay" - Emma whispered mindful of the baby sleeping downstairs. And that her parent's weren't supposed to know she brought a complete stranger home. "You'll stay here tonight because it's too late to wake up Granny. Believe me, that's not an experience you'll want to go through."

The girl silently nodded while looking around in wonder.

_Great, another wacko who has no idea what a toaster is. C'mon, Emma, be nice._

Eyeing the girl carefully as she studied her bedside clock, Emma grabbed a few extra blankets, her pajamas and a pillow. Clearing her throat quietly, she pointed downstairs.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch so you can take the bed." - she raised her hand when the girl started to protest. "Seriously, kid, it's fine. Besides, I'm sure you need a good nights sleep". She eyed the girl and remembered her past and all those nights sleeping not so comfortably.

Elsa mumbled a quiet thank you and Emma gave her a smile.

Climbing down the stairs as quietly as she could, actually surprised her baby brother hadn't woken up the entire floor by now, she dropped the blankets on the couch and changed out of her wet clothes.

Okay, so maybe harboring a complete stranger and letting her sleep in your bed wasn't entirely safe. But Emma had a good feeling about the kid. Besides, from what she remembered of the movie she saw with Henry not two weeks before, she _was_ a good kid, only somewhat misunderstood. Of course, not everything was as the movies pictured it, if Peter Pan was any proof of that.

Sighing, deciding that she would deal with whatever happened in the morning, including her excuse for not being in her bed besides the fact that a teenage queen was sleeping in it.

Frowning against the sunlight coming in through the window, Emma opened her eyes and realised she was alone. _Wait, what? _She bolted from the couch and ran upstairs only to sigh in relief when she saw Elsa still sleeping. Her parent's mustn't have found strange that she was sleeping on their couch. _Seriously, being parents to a newborn is messing up their heads._

Stretching her arms above her head and yawning, Emma went up to her bed.

"Hey, kid." - she called to her. "Wake up." The girl only gave a tired groan and rolled over. Lifting an eyebrow and crossing her arms, Emma eyed her with annoyance.

She half considered the idea of the traditional bucket of water, when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Eyes widening in panic, she ran down the stairs and opened the door.

She was met with sky blue eyes and a cocky smirk.

"Hook."

His smirk turned into a full fledged grin.

"Morning, love." He meant to bypass her into the apartment but she quickly placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Where are you going?" - she blurted as she looked over her shoulder and up the stairs to see if the girl had heard anything and thought of coming to investigate.

Hook stared down at her with a lifted eyebrow.

"I was under the impression that in this realm the proper way to act when a guest is at your door is to invite him in, is it not?".

She wasn't even listening.

"What? Look, this is really not a good time." - she said and started to push him out the door. He looked suspicious. _Damn his pirate instincts. _But only gave her an odd look before turning around and meaning to leave. When she started to close the door, he wedged his foot in.

She huffed, annoyed.

"What now?"

He closed in on her and whispered, a finger gliding over her cheek and down her jaw.

"I'll see you later."

He walked backwards all the way to the stairs while looking at her with that stupid grin on his face and his eyes darting all over her. She slammed the door in annoyance while Elsa chose that exact moment to come down the stairs.

"Why are you so red?" - she asked innocently while fidgeting with her dress.

Emma huffed, affronted.

"I am no- Never mind that. So, are you ready to talk now?".

The girl looked at her feet but nodded nonetheless.

"Great. Look uh" - Emma removed a few baby blankets, books, toys and boxes of diapers from the table and chairs, wondering to herself just how many babies did her mother really have. "Sit. I'll be down in a few minutes to make us something to eat."

The girl obediently sat down and resumed her hobby of studying the appliances.

When they were both sat down with two bowls of cereal (after explaining what cereal _was_) and a big mug of coffee for Emma, she questioned the girl.

"So, you're a queen." - good a place to start as any.

Elsa looked up from her bowl and smiled sadly.

"Yes."

Emma hmmed and took another bite.

"Aren't you a little young to be queen?" - sure things were done differently in a monarchy, but she couldn't imagine anyone handing out such power to a 16 year old.

The girl looked at Emma in confusion.

"I'm 21 years old."

Emma promptly choked on her cereal.

"You-You're what? Son of a- just what do they put on the water over there?" - she coughed and wiped her chin on her napkin.

The girl was eyeing her weirdly. _Seriously? I'm the weird one here?_

Emma cleared her throat and went back to business.

"Okay, today's my day off so we'll have plenty of time to figure out how did you get here. Unless you already know that." Elsa shook her head no. Emma sighed. "Well it was a long shot anyways. Do you remember anything from before you got here?"

Elsa explained her story, from her parents death until her coronation ball.

"I-I don't really remembered what happened. It was dark, I couldn't see anything. I just remember running and then everything went black."

Emma twirled around her spoon as she thought.

"So the reason it's snowing in May is because of you."

The kid (even though she was 21, to Emma she was just a kid) looked immensely guilty and nodded. "I can't control my powers and it gets worse when I'm scared."

_Poor kid._ Emma could relate. Sure, where she came from having magical powers is a blessing, but she understood the pressure brought on yourself from not being able to control them.

"Well" - Emma said standing up and clearing the table. "We should talk to someone who understands of magic." She stopped on her tracks, her first thought was Regina, but the mayor wasn't really on her best moods when it came to her so she went with her second, less pleasant, choice.

_Rumplestiltskin it is._


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so this chapter has been written for a long time but I completely forgot to upload it here. Ooops. But if you follow me on Tumblr you might've already read it. Still, here it is because I'm about to post chapter 4 and I have to post this one first, obviously. Hope you like it!**

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One thing was sneaking a small 21 year old in her parent's apartment in the dead of night, another was having her trail after her in broad daylight. She didn't exactly know why she didn't just walk her up to Granny's and announce to the town the source of the god forsaken weather. In her opinion, the girl wasn't dangerous. Sure, she almost froze a whole town but she didn't believe the kid meant to do it. But the fact was she didn't know how those who lived in the Enchanted Forest saw her, or if they even knew her. The last thing the kid needed was to be locked up until they decided her fate. So yeah, hiding her from everyone seemed like the best choice. At least until she knew if Elsa was, in fact, a scared little lost girl or some kind of evil ice queen. Maybe Gold was actually the right man to talk to; god knows the weird things he's familiar with. Even though she was a little unnerved at what Gold might do if Elsa was indeed evil, Emma didn't dwell on it much; one of her best (or worst) features was jumping into things with no parachute whatsoever. She'll think of the consequences when they come.

When she stepped outside that morning, a thick blanket of snow still covered the grounds but the wind billowing her hair around her face felt more like a breeze than anything else. Elsa followed her, wrapped in a thick sweater Emma "borrowed" from Mary Margaret (she found her size was too big on the kid) curiously looking around her but she didn't seemed too scared. Sure, the fact that Emma didn't tell her where they were going might've helped.

"W-where are we going?" - she heard quietly being asked behind her.

Emma cursed the heavens and whatever was up there.

She turned to look down at the girl, with what she hoped was a reassuring smile on her face.

"We're going to get you home." _hopefully, _she added to herself.

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One thing Killian was proud of about himself was the fact that he was a patient man. A _very _patient when it came to Emma Swan. God knows what he had to endure; all those cold stares, curt replies and psychological shoves that comes with loving her. He couldn't actually complain: his patience had paid off, or at least he thought it did. Ever since their shared kiss (more like _kisses_) on the diner's porch, Emma was, for lack of a better term, distant. Even more so than usual. Not only that, but the way she dismissed him not one hour ago sent his senses spiking. Another thing he was quite proud of was how much he knew her. Oh, and he _knew_ her. Sometimes, he thinks, even more than she knows herself, and the Emma that greeted him that morning was agitated, troubled, _hiding something._

And he'll eat his own hook if he doesn't find out just what it is.

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The bell above the door chimed when Emma stepped into the crammed room of Gold's shop with Elsa in tow. Stomping on the welcome mat to shake off the snow off her boots, Emma went for the curtain that led to the back room while the girl admired the many objects that littered the quaint shop.

She nearly had a heart attack when Belle threw it aside. Belle's blue eyes bulged and she gave a small gasp.

"Jesus christ, Emma! I didn't hear you come in."

Belle smiled and deposited the small box she was carrying on top of the counter and started to dig through it.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Emma stuffed her hands in her back pockets and glanced back at Elsa (who, apparently, Belle had yet to notice was with them), before turning her attention back to the brunette who was now polishing some strange and ornamented goblet. "Where's Gold?"

Belle spared her a glance before returning to her task.

"Rumple's not here; he's at Regina's. Apparently, he has some sort of idea about who is causing this weather." Belle stopped her movements for a while and frowned. "Actually, he seemed… I don't know, kind of… frightened." She finished, uncertainly.

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Frightened? Gold?" she looked at Belle doubtfully.

When Belle only returned her stare, she actually began to worry. Who the hell could scare The Dark One? Another glance at the girl and she spotted her staring at a small box coated with dust. With one strong intake of breath (that caught Belle's attention) she blew the dust away. Wiping the remaining particles from the lid, she gasped and took a step back. Emma was on her in a second with Belle not far behind.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked worriedly, ignoring Belle's whispered "_Who is her?"_

Elsa's blue eyes were huge and her mouth agape. She turned on Belle.

"Where did you get this?"

Belle was looking at the girl curiously, and a bit worried (the girl looked like she had just seen a ghost), before looking at the box. "Uh… I-I'm not sure. Rumple's not really the catalogue type. He remembers where he got every single item in here." She said with a small smile, almost reverently.

Emma almost rolled her eyes at the sappy atmosphere that lingered. _Pfff, true love._ She thought and regretted thinking it a millisecond later. Blue eyes and always-present smirks flooded her mind and she had to physically shake her head to make them go away.

Emma cleared her throat and Belle's glazed eyes re-focused on her. Elsa was still looking expectantly at Belle who gave her a smile in return. "Why do you want to know?"

The girl pointed at the crocus diligently crafted upon the wood of the lid.

"This symbol, I know it. This box came from my kingdom."

Emma frowned and then looked at Belle who seemed just as confused. "Did Gold ever go to Arendelle?" Emma stole a glance at Elsa in case she got that information wrong but the girl was waiting for Belle's answer.

The brunette crossed her arms in thought. "He never mentioned it to me. Why? What does that have to do with anything?".

Emma only hesitated for a few seconds; Belle was smart, she read a lot and could most definitely help her with Elsa's true identity. And she was also kind and compassionate; even if Elsa was allegedly evil (that would be one hell of a surprise), Emma was sure she would at least give the girl a chance to explain herself. She tilted her head in the girl's direction.

"Meet Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Belle's reaction was instantaneous: her eyes bulged out of their sockets and her mouth hung agape. She took a few steps back until she hit the counter.

She looked absolutely terrified.

_Well, that answers the question: the kid's an evil ice queen walking around in my mother's sweater. Great._

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**Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is. Although a little later than I had planned. I got so caught up on updating this on Tumblr (and with the amazing spoilers we've been getting :D) that I completely forgot I had to update here too. Sorry. This one has a bit more Captain Swan fluff and Killian POV (bloody hard to write, I'm tellin ya). **

**Enjoy!**

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The unseasonable weather was starting to seriously irk him. It was nearing the middle of the year and the twelve or so inches of snow that made the otherwise short walk from the Charmings's dwelling to Granny's food parlor a tiresome endeavor that took almost double the time (though the snow had stopped falling, a small mercy) was surely misplaced. But the fact that this realm had some sort of knobs that could control the water's warmness still baffled him so he really could not attain for sure that the quantity of the white substance that (if not for his leathers would have drenched him to the core) covered the town's pavement was in fact abnormal.

When he crossed the threshold of the, apparently, only food-selling establishment in town and after shaking his boots of the excess of snow (which earned him a sore look from Widow Lucas herself) he made sure to seat at one of the leather clad seats (something the people in this realm dubbed booths) on the back and facing the entrance. It was still early and he had seen her not 10 minutes ago but the fact was that every minute not spent in her presence was, in his opinion, both lonesome and wasted. But that day, Killian had a purpose in seeing her (besides the mere presence of her): she was acting odd, even more so than usual. He knew from day one that Emma Swan was not an average woman. Walls of cold stone built under the influence of past heartbreaks, disappointments and betrayals made for one complex character, and Emma had always been closed off, skittish and withdrawn. The problem was not with her, nor her boy or her parents as far as he could tell, no. The look she gave him (behind the rushed dismissal and (he could not help the rise of a smirk to his lips) embarrassed flush of her cheeks) was one he'd seen since he'd known her; a look that both complimented and depicted her, a look that, for the life of him, could not find a better word for it: dauntlessness. The woman was surely on a mission, and on a mission she was sure to succeed. Although this look was slightly different from the others he'd seen on her: every other had some pain or fear underlaying it and all of them were due to her boy. This one was, as the word that he'd dubbed it with portrayed, fearless, so she did not fear for her boy's or parent's safety.

She looked motivated, excited even. He was torn between feeling elated at seeing her happy and carefree, and dejected that she did not trust him with said adventure. They did make quite the team, after all.

And that is why, after ordering some of that hot chocolate she is so fond of, he awaits for her inevitable arrival (after her preferred hot chocolate, she cannot go by without Granny's hot black beverage she calls coffee). So he waits.

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After making sure Belle wasn't going to either run to Gold for help nor have a heart attack, Emma made her promise that the presence of the girl in town would stay between them, although the brunette did so begrudgingly.

Making the walk back to her parents loft through the still snow covered ground wasn't an easy task: even though it was May, the low temperature could still be felt, an after effect of the blizzard from the night before, so the snow had no way of melting.

'Can't you do anything about all this snow?' – Emma asked through gritted teeth as she fought to put one foot in front of the other.

When Elsa didn't answer, she looked at her.

The girl was quiet, head bowed down and rubbing her hands over her arms. Instantly, Emma knew it wasn't because she was cold.

'Hey.' – she called out to her.

Elsa lifted her head and looked at her sadly. Emma tried her best to give her a hopeful smile.

'It's gonna be fine.'

Apparently it wasn't the right thing to say. Elsa rounded on her. 'What if it isn't? What if I'm really the Evil Ice Queen that woman thinks I am? I-I don't remember! I may have done horrible things! I can't control my magic, what if I hurt someone? What if-I…' Her eyes were panicked and she was breathing harshly, grabbing bit chunks of her hair, clawing at it. 'I should just leave.' She turned her back and began to walk away.

Emma grabbed her arm before she could move any further. 'Hey, wait!' When the Elsa made no further move to flee, she deemed it safe to let go of her arm.

'Listen, kid. I may never know what you've been through or know what it's like to be in your shoes, but I know all about fear. You may not know this, but here in this world magic doesn't exist. Or at least it shouldn't. Not outside fairytale stories meant to make kids dream and hope for a happy ending. But that's it. Once you're grown up you put those stories behind you and you face the real world, where there's no magic, no happy endings. No True Love.' Emma crossed her arms and looked at the snow covering her feet. 'That's why I've always been afraid of believing all of this is real. Because I never had that. I never had the hope or dreams a kid should have. And if I did, even for a while, it was taken from me which just made me stop believing all the more. All of this: magic, hope, princesses, True Love, happy endings… They were thrown at me when I was already an adult, so no. I didn't believe. I couldn't. But now I do. After all I've been through, after the people I've met... I have a family, now.' _God, she was actually crying in front of a girl 10 years her junior, wasn't she?_ 'I believe in all those things. I… I believe in True Love.' She let out a watery chuckle. 'I'm not afraid anymore'. To prove her point, Emma took off one of her gloves and, closing her eyes, she made a small fireball appear on her palm. Elsa gasped and got closer, mesmerized by the flame. Emma smiled and extinguished the fire with a flick of her wrist.

Emma dried her cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket and placed a hand on the girls arm. 'Don't let your fear get to you, but most of all, believe in yourself.'

Elsa smiled, slowly, carefully, and nodded. 'Okay, I'll try.'

'Good. Now let's get you back home. Even though I hardly think you're capable of hurting a fly willingly, there are people in this town who're quicker to judge.'

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A steaming cup of chocolate was placed in front of him, distracting him from his perusing of the front door. Red's bright red lips pulled up in a pitiful smile.

'She stood you up, huh?'

Killian grabbed the cup (his third one that morning) and brought it up to his lips. 'I can't say I know what standing someone up means, but let me tell you, you look lovely today'. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and smirked.

Red rolled her eyes at his, obviously fake, attempt at flirting. 'Seriously, though.' She turned serious. 'I haven't seen her today. She rarely skips her morning coffee.'

Hook placed his mug on his coaster and frowned for a second before lightly shrugging. 'I saw her this morning, I'm sure she's just fine.'

Red shrugged too, in a way that told him _'fine, if you say so'_ and left through the door that led to the kitchen.

Although he felt the need to reassure the brunette that Emma was, in fact, alright he wasn't so sure himself. He did see her that morning and she looked fine (absolutely amazing, as always) but the fact was that it had been more than an hour and Gods knew where that little personal adventure of hers had taken her. Suddenly worried, he dropped some golden coins on the table and made a few quick strides until he reached the front door. At the same time it was being pushed open.

'Bloody hell!' – he cursed as he nursed his swelling nose. Tears sprung to his eyes and he tilted his head back while he felt around his nose.

'Oh my god. Are you okay? Is it broken? Is it bleeding?'

Despite the searing pain still shooting through his system and the blood clogging in his nostrils he couldn't help the grin that plastered on his face.

'Why, Swan. No need to be so worried. I've had much worse.'

He heard some rustling and then felt cold fingers gently dabbing at his nose. He felt a shiver run through him that had nothing to do with her fingers temperature.

'I don't think it's broken. You just need some ice.' Her concerned voice kept the grin on his face as she led him, head still tilted back, to sit down on the same booth he had just vacated.

He heard her heels clicking and then her voice when she requested an ice pack, whatever that was, from Red. She returned seconds later and placed what he assumed was a wet rag under his nose.

'Jesus, you're bleeding like a faucet.'

He didn't know what a faucet was either, but was seriously starting to think that the searing pain that had now risen to his head was worth it.

She dabbed the cloth gingerly below his nose and he heard her sigh. 'I'm sorry.'

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. 'It's quite alright, love. This is nothing.' He dismissed her apology with a swipe of his hook, which served to prove his point and closed his eyes again against the pain.

A few minutes later, he heard Red's heels clicking closer to them and then Emma's 'thank you' before he felt a sudden shill on his nose. He hissed.

'Sorry. Here, hold this in place.' He grabbed the plastic over his nose delighting at the way his fingers brushed hers when he took her place. He heard her taking a seat in front of him before she snorted.

'What?' – he said, affronted.

'I can't believe the mighty Captain Hook let a simple bloody nose get the best of him.'

He was sure she was smiling so he grinned himself. 'Well, you just happen to be immensely strong. It feels like you punched me.'

She laughed and his grin widened. 'Well, the last time I knocked you out, so I guess it wasn't that bad.'

He chuckled and let her have her moment. There was no reason for her to know that he let her win that particular fight when she was laughing so easily around him. He had missed this. Their banter, their own personal way of flirting. A moment or two passed in a comfortable silence. When he felt the bleeding had stopped, he slowly dropped his head and looked at her. She was no longer smiling and was ripping up what was left of his sugar package, lost in thought. He placed the ice package on the table and reached for her hand. 'Emma, love?'.

She didn't look up at him but grabbed his hand in both of hers and began to rub her thumbs over it. His heart lodged itself on his throat and he swallowed.

She didn't look sad; she just looked distracted and clearly had no intention of talking about it. Sighing mentally, he kept his eyes on their joined hands and thought of anything to ask her besides the reason for her absent mind and her lack of willingness to trust him with it.

'How's the little prince doing?'

Emma's face suddenly brightening up and her almost blinding smile made it worth it.

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**Always love to hear what you think! See you next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! Another one down, 2 or 3 more to go. The start of the actual plot is here! XD Enjoy.**

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The sound of the door banging closed made Emma jump and she turned on her seat alarmed.

"Emma!"

Leroy stood in front of her, face pale.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She stood up from the booth and heard Killian do the same behind her.

The dwarf sighed. "You better see for yourself." And bolted right out the door, Emma and Killian hot on his heels.

He didn't stop running, even though his stride was slowed down by the blanket of snow that still covered the ground, until they reached the library where, to Emma's immense horror, stood Belle, one hand still on the door knob, completely frozen. She stood in front of the brunnette, still not quite believing what she was seeing.

"That is not normal freezing, is it? She'd get no more than a frost bite with the temperature as it is."

Even though he didn't speak, Emma could feel Killian's eyes on her. Her stomach was heavy with dread. "I-I don't know who did this. But you're right, Leroy. There is nothing normal about this." She turned on her heels and grabbed Killian's arm, dragging him with her. It was time she told him about Elsa; there's no way she could deal with this alone. She only dropped his arm when they stood in front of the loft's door. Killian didn't say anything; he was obviously waiting for her to explain herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak.

"There's someone in the loft."

Killian's expressive eyebrow shot up.

"I would think so, love. 3 someone's, if I'm not mistaken."

Emma rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. "No, no. Not my family. I meant someone new."

She immediately regretted her choice of words when she saw the absolutely wrecked expression that passed through his eyes. She hurried in amending herself.

"No! Not like that." Her apprehension eased out a bit when she saw the relief in his eyes. "It's… You know what? Just come in and see for yourself."

She opened the door and sighed, relieved, when her parents and baby brother were no where in sight. (She wondered what was keeping them so long, but didn't dwell on it much seeing that it was actually a good thing they weren't there).

As she closed the door behind Killian, she heard footsteps running down the stairs.

"Emma? Is that-" Elsa froze on the last step as she realized Emma wasn't alone.

Emma bit her lip and looked from Elsa (still rooted on the spot, her eyes huge and mouth agape. Her face had paled even more than it's normal color. She was scared) to Killian (who, to his credit, only mildly surprised to see a 20 year old queen in her loft. Then again, maybe he didn't know her.

Emma stood between them and cleared her throat.

"Uh, Elsa, this is Killian. He's my, uh, friend." He didn't react to her choice of words so she pointed at the girl, who was approaching them now. "This is Elsa, queen of Arandelle."

Killian appraised the girl curiously and, Emma noted, confusedly.

"Wait. I thought the queen of Arandelle had perished long ago."

Now it was Emma's turn to be confused. Elsa was frowning too. "I don't understand." Elsa looked at her feet, her hands the front of Mary Margaret's sweater, which she still wore even though it was obvious she wasn't bothered by the cold. "Has it been that long?". She started to sway a bit so Emma grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her on the couch.

She squatted in front of the girl while Killian stood behind her. "What are you talking about?". Elsa placed her hands on her knees, her gaze never leaving the floor. "My mother, the queen, she died when I was 18. It's only been 3 years, I think. How long was I gone?" She was obviously talking to herself for nor Killian nor Emma could possibly know the answer to that.

She heard the sound of leather creaking as Killian shifted behind her. "I don't believe we're talking about the same queen here, lass." Both Emma and Elsa looked up at him confused so he continued. "The last queen of Arendelle I have knowledge of is rumored to have died not long before I left for Neverland." The implication of his statement only made sense to Emma, so he explained further. "More than 200 years ago."

Elsa gasped. "How is that possible? Arandelle was never without a queen. There was my mother before me and her mother before her." Killian shrugged, pacing along the carpet that covered the living room.

"All I know, all everyone knows, is that Arendelle was left unruled all this time. At least there was no news of a new queen."

The situation was bizarre to say the least. Emma stood up and faced Killian. "So you're saying that no one, outside of Arendelle, knew about this? How can you keep an entire country that isolated?". Killian shrugged and crossed his arms.

"What happened to her? The old queen, I mean."

Emma and Killian looked at Elsa whose gaze was back on the ground. Killian licked his lips. "From what I heard at the time, and read, the Ice Queen, as they called her, was a ruthless sorceress. Her power to control the winds and freeze anything she wished made everyone fear her. She ruled for centuries, her body apparently as frozen as her kingdom, for she never aged. Her people spent their lives barely scraping by as a frozen soil is by no means fertile. They made do with fish caught from holes they sculpted on the iced waters. There's no certainty when it comes to the reason for her demize, for who could be more powerful than a witch who could freeze mountains with a flick of her wrist?". Emma, now seated beside Elsa, listened enraptured. The man had a way with the words for sure. "Some said she finally succumbed to her many years but most believed she was imprisoned by a sorcerer from a far away land. This sorcerer, both intrigued and bristled by both her powers and audacity to claim herself the most powerful witch there was, locked her away after trying to take her powers. It is believed he didn't succeed and kept her hidden, ashamed of his failure, and making sure no one ever knew about it. They say the only reason for her capture to have been successful was her long years and her arrogancy."

Emma realised he had finished his tale so she closed her mouth and shook her head from it's haziness. She rewinded everything he said and some things clicked into place. So that's why Belle was so freaked out. Wait, Belle! She quickly turned to Elsa.

"Elsa, did you leave the loft after I dropped you here earlier?". The girl looked at her confused.

"No, why?".

Emma didn't answer. She stood up and grabbed Killian's arm again and led him to the kitchen.

"There's one more thing. Elsa also has these powers you mentioned."

Killian's eyes bulged and he looked back at Elsa who was freeing her hair from her updo, playing with it distractedly. "You think she is responsible for Belle's condition?". He sounded doubtful, as if he couldn't believe the girl was capable of such a thing and a surge of adoration for this man rose up in Emma.

"No, of course not. But if anyone finds out about her you know they will." Killian nodded pensively. "My parent's must be getting back anytime soon and I'm not sure it's such a good idea for them to know. I don't want to get Neal in the middle of this. We need to take her somewhere else until we know what to do. Any suggestions?".

"Yes, I think you're right, It's best if your parents, or anyone else, know just yet. There's an empty storage building by the docs. It's rarely used, save for a few spare nets and coils of rope.. We can take her there." She heard Killian had started working down by the docks but she had no idea what he did. They've barely spoken since their journey to the past, but now was not the time to feel guilty about it.

Emma nodded and went upstairs to get some clothes and stuffing them in a dufflebag, before doing the same to some snack bars and juice boxes she found in the pantry.

She approached the girl, handing the bag to Killian who had reached for it with his hook. "Elsa?" The girl looked up and focused her hazy eyes on the older blonde. "We're gonna get you to somewhere safe, okay? We have to make sure no one else knows about you, so you can't stay here." Elsa nodded, understanding, and stood up.

"I'm sorry. For all this trouble, I didn't mean to-" Emma cut her off by grabbing her hand. "Hey. It's okay. It's no problem, really." She gave the girl a reassuring smile which she returned carefully.

They left the apartment and when they passed Killian, Emma felt her cheeks flush when she saw the adoring smile on his face.

Emma closed the door of the building behind them and sped up to catch Elsa by the elbow stirring her on the right direction. "We're gonna take you to the docks. There's a-"

"Well, well, well. Isn't this nice. And here was thinking I had to break in to find her. I appreciate you sparing me the trouble, miss Swan."

Gold had a gun pointed at Elsa and she wasn't fast enough. Emma heard the sound of the hammer being clicked into place. She jumped in Elsa's direction, hearing Killian screaming her name behind her. A shot was fired.

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**I love hearing from you! Until next time.**


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